The present invention is directed to the field of sporting goods. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved game decoy with means to heat the surface of the decoy and/or prevent moisture from sticking to the surface of the decoy in the form of rain, ice or snow.
The present invention is directed to an improvement to Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,408 hereby incorporated by reference. The duck decoy described and claimed therein, marketed under the product name FOWL FOOLERS™, features a coarse, burlap-like fabric adhesively secured to the exterior of the body of the decoy, as well as a longitudinal keel running beneath the body which enhances the stability of the decoy. While the present invention is applicable to the duck decoys of the prior invention, it has broader application. It will be appreciated that the heating system (“hot body”) used to heat the surface of a decoy, although described in conjunction with a decoy used in hunting waterfowl, may be used with any type of decoy and is not restricted to decoys used to hunt waterfowl.
Various types of decoys have been employed heretofore in the hunting of waterfowl such as ducks and geese in order to attract the fowl and entice them to fly over or land on a designated particular area of land or water. When hunting is to be conducted in a selected area, a number of decoys are deployed in the area to attract overflying fowl to that area. Of course, the more natural and prominent the deployed decoys can be made to appear, the more likely they are to attract overflying fowl. The body and head configuration, the surface coloring and texture, and the manner in which the anchored decoy rides or floats in the water, all influence the appearance of a group of decoys.
Efforts have continued over the years to improve the appearance and performance of such decoys, and to that end it has been suggested the bodies may be formed in various ways. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 547,033 discloses a decoy formed by filling a fabric covering affixed to a floating base with loose material such as grass, straw, leaves, paper, or excelsior. U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,376 pertains to a decoy having a hollow molded pulp body. U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,538 suggests a decoy having an air inflatable body portion, while the decoy of U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,032 employs as the body a flexible, resilient, molded shell which is collapsible but which will return to its original shape when the collapsing force is removed. The surfaces of the bodies are generally configured and ornamented in one way or another to resemble, as nearly as possible, the feather arrangement and coloring of a particular species of waterfowl. In most present day decoys the surface of the body itself is formed with a feature appropriate to achieve the desired visual effect, and the surface is then painted or decorated. Such an arrangement has not been found entirely satisfactory in that the surface does not present a realistic appearance and the finish is often damaged by the rough handling to which the decoys are subjected.
A particularly objectionable feature of prior art decoys is their failure to cope with the issue of precipitation. Conventional decoys are subject to the build up of snow, ice and/or the appearance of a rain-slick surface, none of which accurately reflects the appearance of living birds. Such flawed decoys can result in a flock of ducks/geese remaining on the wing when they do their “fly by” to determine if landing on the pond or in the field is warranted. Similarly, precipitation buildup on other types of game decoys, can similarly defeat the functions of those decoys. It is among the objects of the present invention to provided a heating system for the surface of the decoy which will melt ice, sleet and snow and dry up any rain-slick surface to minimize the phony look precipitation produces on the surface of the decoy and/or prevent moisture from sticking to the surface of the decoy in the form of rain, ice or snow.
The decoy or the present invention for use in hunting waterfowl, game birds, game animals, and the like, comprises: a) a body portion having an external surface area; b) heat producing and conducting means associated with a significant portion of the surface area to melt any frozen precipitation and eliminate a shine produced by a wet surface of said decoy. The heat producing and conducting means preferably includes a heat producing/transmitting material associated with the surface area of the decoy. For example, the heat transmitting material may include a resistance wire system embedded in the decoy below or on top of the surface area. The heat producing and transmitting means will preferably include an underlayment of conducting material which will spread the heat more evenly over the external surface area. This underlayment may comprise a metallic, metallic blend, glass, rubber or synthetic rubber or other heat-conducting material. Flexible heating tapes which are suitable for this application include silicone rubber heating tapes and etched foil tapes of the type widely available from manufacturers including Hi-Heat Industries, Thermo Heating Elements LLC, Omega Engineering, Birk Engineering Thermal Solutions, and Zoppas Industries. The heat producing and conducting means may further include a heat energy source selected from a group consisting of alternating current, direct current, chemical, solar, geothermal and include a heat conducting surface member in contact with said energy source. A fabric selected from a group consisting of burlap, cotton, synthetic fiber, cotton-synthetic blend, metallic, metallic blend, and chemically/mechanically bonded coating, is secured to at least a portion of the surface area concealing the heat producing and conducting means.
Various other features, advantages, and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent after a reading of the following detailed description.